A communication system can be seen as a facility that enables communication sessions between two or more entities such as user terminal and/or other nodes associated with the communication system. Subscribers, such as the users, to a communication system may be offered and provided numerous services, such as two-way or multi-way calls, data communication or multimedia services or simply an access to a network, such as the Internet.
There may be various ways of pricing the services in a communication system. A service provider may wish to price services depending on the time when the service is consumed. Traditionally in fixed telephony, the price of a call may be different in the busy hours of the day (so-called on-peak hours) and in the non-busy hours, like weekends and non-office hours (off-peak hours).
Wireless data communication networks, such as general packet radio service (GPRS), universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS), wireless local area network (WLAN) and so on, provide typically mobility for the users thereof. A subscriber may use services in the home network provided by an operator, so-called home operator, with which the subscriber has a subscription. The subscriber may also use services when located in a network provided by another operator, i.e. when the subscriber is roaming in a visited network. The home operator may have roaming agreements with several network operators that provide connectivity to the subscriber when the subscriber is not in the home network area. Typically, when the subscriber is roaming in another network, the operator of the visited network settles the roaming charges with the home operator according their roaming agreement for example on a monthly basis. The home operator then charges the subscriber for the roaming service.
A subscriber may be a prepaid or post-paid subscriber. A prepaid subscriber typically has a prepaid account where credit is deposited. When services are used, the value of the services is deducted from the prepaid account in real-time. A post-paid subscriber typically receives a bill, for example on a monthly basis, for the services used.
It may be desired to use the idea of charging services depending on the time when the service is consumed. This might be desired also in relation to other services than calls and also in the wireless packet data communication networks, such as the GPRS, UMTS, WLAN and so on. However, when using services, a subscriber of a wireless data communication network may be located in the area of any operator having a roaming agreement with the home operator of the subscriber, as was explained above. The service provider may also be located anywhere, an example being the home operator and another a service provider located in another network.
When the subscriber is located remote from the service provider, for example in a different network, the time zone relating to the subscriber and to the service provider may be different from each other. The service provider may not be aware of the location of the subscriber or the time zone relating to the location of the subscriber. This may lead, for example, to a situation where the subscriber believes to be using a service priced according to a lower tariff, but the service provider charges according to a higher tariff and vice versa.
In some situations it might be desired to have charging information immediately available, for example when a prepaid subscriber is concerned. Some services may not be useable without checking the prepaid account balance first. Therefore, it may be important to know the exact price of the service in advance in order to be able to verify the balance.
These problems arise as an increasing number of various services are offered in the wireless packet data communication networks. Earlier in the fixed and wireless circuit data networks, such as the global system for mobile communications (GSM), the services and charging models have been limited and the network topology has enabled time-based tariffs within a network of an operator. End user charges for roaming have typically been bound to the visited networks without time-based tariffs.
There is therefore a need for an improved method for charging in a communication system.
It shall be appreciated that these issues are not limited to any particular communication environment, but may occur in any communication system.